Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-29
CONFINED IN AN ASYLUM
A Memphis Boy Deprived Of His Home
Snd Freedom-Placed In q
Private Institution.
Thrilling Account of the Alleged Dastardly
Plot Brought to Light by tho Lips
OF tho Young Man himself.
Memphis Avalanche.


Oxford, up il the north gestern part OF
Butler county, stands a large handsome
brick building, e striking architecture.
Il is Oxford Retreat which, to quote
from tie advertising circulars, is "a
private institution for the treatment OF
insanity aud nervous disesse-the opium
habit inebrity and epilepsy" The lnsti-
tuition ID g ''pSy'' one exclusively, no
patient being admitted who is not able to
put up the Sl5 8 week for board, treat
ment and attendance. The superintendent
Of the Retreat is DR.. George T. Cook Dr.
Cook has filed that position fer upwards
OF two years. At tae present time there
are abous forty patients
IN THE INSTITUTION.
These embrace sufferers from al the
ailments and disorders which the cIrcu-
lars IS quoted above state, are treated 81
the retreat. For some little time back
there nave been TumorS running around
Oxford ref citing rather seriously upon
the management OF the institution. One
OF the most prominent and startling Of
these Was TO the effect that young man
from the south, Of large means, had been
kidnapped into the retreat and Wss being
detained there illegally and against his
Will, through tie
CONSPIRACY OF FRIENDS
on the outside who wanted him cut of
the Way ii order tbGt they might the
more readily possess themselves of his
fortune. The young man 10 whom tee
report referred was found. He had bee Il
released from the Retreat Thursday
evening u2der peculiar circumstances,
and was st piping al the hotei st Oxford
His name Is Samuel L. DOan, He is a
small, boyish looking young fellow of
twenty two. bright, apt and intelligent,
and told his story III q very straigattor-
ward and
IMPRESSIVE MANNER.
'My father" SAID ne, "was W. B.
Doan OF Memphis, Tenn, one OF the
largest cotton merchants in that section
of the south. He died two years ago.
He left large property, and his will
while making ample provisions for my
mother aud the other children, showed
some little fsvoritism to me, although
was, TO use the common expression. the
widest one in the ia nily. | was always
ms fathers iaV0rits child. The favorit-
ism SHOWN in my direction by the Wi
aroused the jealousy ofcertsin other mem
BERG OF the family, and this, in my opin-
ion, in the light of the facts and circum-
stances, Is the secret Of my recent
INVOLUNTARY INCARCERATION
in the retreat 81 this place. As | said
before I wes a rather wild boy. travelled
abodt the country good deal, seeing
The world Gld looked upon wine when it
was red more frequently than was good
for me Along in July last was home
IN Memphis and made up mind to brace
up and turn over 6 new leaf. OR family
physician who was cogniZsnt OF this COED
intention upon my part, suggested the
retreat ct oxford, OHIO, as coed place
for me to go to accomplish the feforma-
ton, aud on the 26th of that month
handed me s circular giving full details
and information concerning the iustitu-
ton. Whether the conspiracy against
me, which developed later, existed al that
time, and The
PHYSICIAN WAS A PARTY TO IT,
/ can not say. At sny rate, after reading
the circular which painted the institution
in the most glowing c0l0rs, determined
to enter the Retreat | accordingly ar
rived in Oxford on July % last and en-
tered it at once. The terms were $40 d
week. When l entered | was thurst into
what IS called the back ward among the
insane and epilep;iC patients, where tie
inmates are constantly in charge Of keep
ers, and are under lock and key. This
was hardly what l had expected, but l
thought that perhaps ii would BE the best
thing ofter az, as it would be Impossible
for me TO get cut to get anything TO
drink, and the
'BRhCING UP' PROCESS
would be expedited. l remained an IN
complaining inmate OF thst ward for
three weeks. At the end of that time,
feeling that | had got .he Whiskey out of
me, | requested D.. Cook, the superin-
tendent, to transfer me TO other and bet
ter quarters ana afford me some priv
Ieges. No, sir,' said Or. Cook, very
grutilY and emphaticalIy, you stay just
where you are | was astunished. l mad
gore there as I'd goue to any hotel or
watering place, prepared TO pay my way
and expecting such tyestmeGt and priv
teges as l desired. Then said |, Il
leave the Institutions mot much said
DR.. Cook, Pm going TO keep you here
l wss
HORROR STRICKEN.
I had entered there of my own free will,
l was Of sge ana had not been committed
there. | was absolutely dumbf Junded
Not only did Cook give me the intelli-
geuCe that | was TO remain in the insti-
tutiOn-whether or Nom inmate Of
ward occupied by lunatics, imbeciles,
epueptcs snd other undesirable com
pSnioDs, but he imported the additional
information that all letters | wrote were
to be handed 10 him unseaied to be read,
and censored before being mslled. l
writhed under these outrsges and iudig-
mites, but what could dor There was,
prisoner cut of from all communication
with the
OUTSIDE WORLD,
and thoroughly helpless. Gradually lit
tie things began to crop out which Clearly
demonstrated that l was the victim of o
conspiracy, in which Cook Was con
spirator. When l entered the institution
l had a book Of blank checks on the State
National Bank of Memphis. The second
night l was there this book was taken
from my pocket. A few days later Cook
presented one Of the blank checks to me
and requested me to sign. l refused to
append my signature until he had filled it
out. He finally filed il out for $50, for
FOUR WEEKS BOARD,
when l signed. The incident OF his
handing me blank check to sign was to
me very convincing demonstration of
he -.